Rotational amusement apparatus



March 27, 1956 R c, PERSQNS ROTATIONAL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1954 INVENTOR ROBERT C. PERSONS ATTORNEY United States Patent 6 ROTATIONAL AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Robert C. Persons, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Persons- Majestic Mfg. Company, Worcester, Mass, 2 corporation of Massachusetts Application March 22, 1954, Serial No. 417,903

1 Claim. (Cl. 27233) This invention relates to a new and improved rotational amusement apparatus particularly adapted for use by children but not limited to such use, and comprising in general an upright standard upon which is mounted a generally horizontal member having a seat at each end thereof and including means for the operators to manipulate for rotating the cross member about the upright as a center, so that the operators whirl around in a circle about the standard.

The principal object of the present invention is to improve the manufacture and mechanisms involved in this device so as to make the same simpler, sturdier, and more economically, and to add to the number of persons using the apparatus.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of providing new and useful means for additional cross members, so that there may be four seats to accommodate four instead of two children or operators on the rotational amusement apparatus; and in providing for additional seats also for a plurality of pairs of children operating the device, wherein said means is made so that the additional members may be added after original manufacture and sale of the original device with but the one cross member and two seats; and also so that the device may be easily packaged in a relatively small box without the necessity of using a large box whereby the device may be easily assembled and set up ready for use by the purchaser.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation thereof, looking in the direction of arrow 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on the respective lines of Fig. 3;

Figs. 6 and 7 are plan views of details, looking in the direction of the corresponding arrows in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section on line 38 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged sections on the corresponding lines of Fig. 8.

In illustrating the present invention, the same is shown as in set up condition ready for use and comprises a base plate or the like 10 to which is attached by any convenient or desired means a sturdy upright two-part tubular member 12 having fixed therein a smaller tubular member 14 terminating at its upper end in a gooseneck or the like 16. The gooseneck terminates in an offset flattened portion 18 for a purpose to be described, and the member 14 may be secured to the member 12 by a cross bolt 19.

The upright 12 is supported in upright position by means of a framework consisting of bars 20 bolted as at 22 to the base 10 and extending outwardly, being bolted in turn at 24 to rods or pipes 26, the latter having flattened ends for engaging the ground at corresponding ends thereof 2,739,81 l Patented Mar. 27, 1956 ice 2 and for bolted securement to a disc 28 as at 30, the disc 28 being welded or otherwise secured in fixed relation to the upright 12 at a point above the disc 10.

Welded to the upper part 31 of the upright adjacent to but short of the upper end thereof, there is an oval, flattened sleeve 32 which is provided with vertically aligned holes receiving the upright part 31. The sleeve 32 extends laterally at opposite sides of the upright part 31 and closely holds therein a pair of elongated tubular cross pieces 34 which are spaced as seen in Fig. 4 to lie at opposite sides of the upright and being welded or otherwise secured interiorly of the sleeve 32 at the opposite ends thereof. The cross pieces 34 mount at their ends seats 36 upon which the operators may be seated and'the construction is such that the upright will hold the cross pieces in horizontal position without inclination in spite of the weights of the occupants of the seats.

In order to provide for rotational motion of the crosspieces about the upright 12 as an axis, the member 12 is separated and the upper part thereof 31 in Fig. 3, rests on its lower end upon a bearing or washer 40, there being a centrally located piece 42 providing an interior strengthening member for the tube 14 which of course connects and holds the members 12 and 31 in aligned vertical condition. The sleeve 32 is mounted on the part 31 of the upright 12 and rotates therewith, to rotate the crosspieces 34.

Each laterally extending end of the crosspieces 34, 34, 78, 78 is provided with a generally upright handle construction best shown in Figs. 2 and 8. This handle construction comprises a pair of spaced elongated bars or plates 44 which are spaced by means of a plug 46 having end pins 48, the latter snapping into appropriate holes at the inside aspects of the tubular crosspiece members 78, see Fig. 9. It is only necessary to spring the tubular crosspiece members laterally away from each other to accept the pins 48, this action being shown at dotted lines in Fig. 9. Upon release of the tubular crosspiece members 78, the uprights 44 are held in swingable relation between member 34 (78) by means of the pins 48 acting as an axle and the spacing of the members 44 is maintained by the plug 46.

The bars 44 at their lower ends are provided with laterally extending foot rests 50 and at their upper ends with handles 52. Intermediate the handles 52 and the crosspieces themselves, rods 54 are pivoted by vertical eyes 55 between bars 44 and terminate in horizontal eyes 56 looped over a stud 58 (see Fig. 5) bolted onto the flat end 18 of the gooseneck 16. The eyes 56 are maintained in loose condition by reason of the shoulder 60 on the bolt 58 and are never clamped.

The eyes 55 are mounted on spools 64 which have end pins 66, these being snapped into appropriate holes in the bars 44 (Fig. 10) in the same manner as above described with relation to the mounting of the bars 44 on the tubular cross members 34 (Fig. 9).

With a child or operator seated in each seat 36, an oscillatory motion of the bars 44 by means of hand and foot movements applied by the occupants of the seats will result in a merry-go-round action and the children will be whirled around on their seats with the upright 12 as an axis.

If it is desired to apply further seats to the device so that more pairs of children may participate, a circular plate 70 is provided and this is bolted as at 72 at spaced points to portions of sleeve 32 between the bars 34 and at opposite sides of the upright part 31. Then a flattened oval sleeve 74 which is similar to that at 32 is bolted as at 76 to the circular plate 70, that is, at to the bolt 72. The sleeve 73 is of course complete with cross members 78 which are similar to those at 34 and lie at a 90 angle with respect thereto. The ends of the members 78 are provided with duplicates of the seats 36, the actuating mechanisms 44, 54, etc, and additional eyes are engaged over the bolt 58 as clearly shown in Fig. 5, so that it will be seen that two pairs of children may now make use of the device with a very simple addition to the basic device. If desired, this addition of parts may be carried out further and may provide an additional two or four seats as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l at 30.

It will be seen that this invention provides a relatively simply constructed but very sturdy and long-lasting rotational amusement apparatus of the class described which may be set up quickly and easily and which may be originally purchased for two children, additional units for additional pairs of children being easily added at a later date; also in the event that the complete device is desired to be purchased in the first instance, nevertheless the entire device is easily knocked down for sale in a compact form which is easily transported or stored. The bolts '72 and 76 may be omitted and the apparatus welded in place, if it is not desired to have the apparatus in knocked down relation.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

Rotational amusement apparatus comprising a standard, a rotary member thereon in axial relation thereto, a horizontal sleeve secured to member, a pair of parallel tubular elements in the sleeve, one at each side of the rotary member, a detachable plate secured to the sleeve, the rotary member passing through the plate centrally thereof, a second horizontal sleeve detachably connected to the plate and positioned at an angle to the first-named sleeve, a pair of parallel tubular elements in the second sleeve, one at each side of the rotary member, the latter passing centrally through the second sleeve, said sleeves being fiat at their upper and lower surfaces and the plate being fiat and interposed between the lower flat surface of the sec0nd-named sleeve and the upper fiat surface of the first sleeve, the sleeves, plate, and rotary member all being in fixed relation to each other, a fixed crank associated With the standard, a seat at each end of each pair of tubular elements, and means on each pair of tubular elements for causing rotation of the latter and said sleeves with relation to the standard, said means being connected with the crank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 614,948 Hamilton Nov. 29, 1898 770,121 Scoggins Q. Sept. 13, 1904 1,255,022 Krathwohl Jan. 29, 1918 2,544,589 Cummings Mar. 6, 1951 

